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[2boysma]

A few months after my father died, I found myself ready to do a little scrapbook about some of the things we'd done together, some of the stories he used to tell, things like that. It was helpful to get past that feeling of disbelief and shock. It also helped me realize how lucky I was to have been able to spend so much time travelling with dad in my college years. I got to spend more time with my dad in his (relatively) short life than a lot of people spend one-on-one with their parents in a full lifetime. I felt so cheated when he died, that everyone else I knew had their dad's still, even people a lot older than me. Looking at all we'd done together made me realize I was pretty lucky to have the time we did have, and to have a dad as great as mine to begin with. 



I LOVE this.  Thanks so much for sharing.  Perfect example of what we hope to begin to accomplish with our class.  :)  Bless you, rat girl!!
 

[2boysma]

Oh my, what marvelous responses…everyone.  Thank you.  My scrapbooking girls and I have been asked to teach a scrapbook class at a church (not our own church) with the focus of the day being on working through grief.  There is a group at this church that meets regularly and apparently some are having a difficult time working through losses.  You all have given wonderful words of encouragement, personal examples and ideas and great inspiration to me.  My husband will lead some music, then we have some page layouts with some choices for the participants right now…working on putting all the details together.  I'd like to copy your pages, Laura and blfonty if that is okay.  I hope to have lots of examples for these people to look at to inspire them to journal and be artistic in working through their grief.  I'd love to copy some of your stories, Tanya, Sarah, Kim and pezcat.  Shannon, thanks for the wonderful suggestions.  I agree, there is no one right way to do it.  Everyone has to find their way to tell the story within them.  We are praying these participants will truly be able to find scrapbooking as a therapeutic way to retell what is in their hearts and minds.  Anything else you think of that might help, please continue to add.  Thank you again, so much.  Each comment helps tremendously.  I will check out the YouTube class on grieving, too.  Thank you, Stephanie.  The class is October 18.  We are having meetings together to plan.  Many of these people may have NEVER scrapbooked at all, so we are providing most everything except the photos they want to bring.  :)  

 

I would be fine if you copied my page...if you could, would you please white out the names?  Thanks!  Good luck with your class...it sounds like it is much needed.  

Yes, Laura.  I will white out the names.  Again, a million thanks.  I wish you a WONDERFUL school year.  Just retired after 30 years - 15 as classroom t., 14 as an asst. principal!  I will miss it.  I know how hard you work and how powerful your job is in the lives of children.  Blessings and prayers go with you.  My husband starts back tomorrow.  He is physics teacher.  Has taught various things most of the summer!  Again, blessings!! 
 

[2boysma]

Like many other cherries, I've done memorial pages. Most of them are pets, but I finally did one featuring my grandmother who passed away almost 8 years ago.

I love the memorial pages idea, Brandy.  Is the one of your grandmother in the gallery?  I'd love to see it.  Thank you for sharing.  
 

[TheNonna]

As part of a class exercise, I created a patchwork quilt page.  On top of the quilt I placed a photo of 5 generations to include my grandmother.  The journaling was about how I sleep everynight under a quilt she made; and how not a day goes by that we don't think about her and miss her.

[2boysma]

My Mom left the physical world in January this year.  I took pictures each day I was at the hospital with her.  I am going to scrap those pages in a mini book for ME only.  I am going to have another 12x12 scrapbook of her with notes she wrote me and newspaper articles she sent me.  Happier things, silly things.

Good ideas, Karen.  I look forward to seeing some of this work.  I am so sorry for YOUR loss.  You were a great daughter, I just know it.  Love that you are filling a book with her letters to you and important articles you shared.  Thank you.  
 

[2boysma]

There used to be a blog called "good grief".  I'm not sure if you can still see the old entries or not.  Lots of good examples there.  I am a social worker/therapist and I have worked a lot with this with kids in foster care.  Many of them have a hard way of connecting with their past and this gives a constructive outlet to deal with trauma and their feelings.  Sometimes we even cut out pictures (since many don't have baby pictures) just so they have pictures on the pages.  I have loaned out my camera at times to let them go around and take pictures to add.  Sometimes we don't think to have pictures of things "in the moment", but find it comforting to take pictures after...like a favorite place, old house that you lived in, etc.  My rule of thumb is there is no wrong way to do it.  Allowing your creativity and grief to flow onto the pages as it comes...  I agree, lots of journaling is helpful because you can really express what you are feeling.  But if you aren't ready for that, a picture is sometimes worth a 1000 words, right?  It's your grief, your scrapbook and you can do it however feels right.  HTH


Oh, Shannon, I love the work you are doing with foster children.  Thank you so much.  It is so important for them to have some things they can call their own--especially photos of experiences and people who are or become important to them.  FABULOUS, fabulous work.  Thanks.  Your philosophy of "no wrong way" -- thanks for that, too.  You are so right.  Can't wait to quote you on that in October.  :)  It s freeing!!
 

[2boysma]

As part of a class exercise, I created a patchwork quilt page.  On top of the quilt I placed a photo of 5 generations to include my grandmother.  The journaling was about how I sleep everynight under a quilt she made; and how not a day goes by that we don't think about her and miss her.

Oh, I LOVE the patchwork quilt idea!  Wow!  I'll bet it is so cool.  Is it in the gallery?  Thanks, "Nonna" for sharing!  Happy birthday on the 26th!  
 

[2boysma]

I did a photo book of my Dad for both my brothers, my mom and myself. It was pictures and journaling from when he was born until he died. It was incredibly difficult to do but it turned out so beautiful. The book was about 20 pages. I scanned all the pictures and cried every time I worked on the book. It really helps when I am missing him to look at the book. 

"It really helps when I am missing him to look at the book."  -- I know how true that is.  I will quote you in our session, if that is okay.  I'll bet your book is rich, rich, rich.  And, the fact that is keeps on giving comfort and strength to you and to other family members just shows the increasing value of the time and attention you invested in it.  Thanks for sharing.  I'd love to see some pages.  My mom put a binder together of photos of my dad, then handwritten notes from each of them (mom and dad) --kind of summarizing the key events in their lives.  I love pulling it out and seeing their handwriting and reading their stories, looking at the photos.  It is not a "scrapbook" as we would call it, but it IS because it tells the story of my dad --birth to death--and the important things HE remembered about his life in his own hand.  Such a treasure!!